5 Habits That Will Make Your Speed Up Your Transition!—& why I started my curly hair journey.
I've been straightening my hair for 14 years — blow dryer and flat iron. My first memories are from my "abuela" putting some oil in my hair while brushing it, also smearing something called Vitapointe (didn't like the smell of this). I don't quite remember a moment where someone praised curly hair, always long straight blonde hair. A big element as you are a child is what the TV portrays as beautiful, and I spent most of my early childhood with my "abuela" watching "novelas". If you are familiar with Hispanic soap operas a.k.a. novelas, you know where I'm going with all of this. All the women are light-skinned, with straight or wavy hair, and the "most beautiful" always have hazel, blue or green eyes. I don't remember a moment where a woman with curly hair was praised for her hair, so that's where it started for me.
I remember one Monday going to school and the boy I liked at the time was making fun of my hair because it was straight in the front and curly in the back, mostly in the inside sections. I remember not fitting in, and feeling ugly because of that, not knowing that I was beautiful the way I was. I wish we all embraced who we are — straight, wavy, or curly hair. Our hair is not who we are, but an accessory of our character, charisma and personality. For 14 years of my life I thought that voluminous straight or wavy, shiny hair was the definition of beauty. I never thought of short hair as pretty. I was taught that curly hair was for women that didn't care for their appearance, or that were lazy. Growing up with comments like "Fall in love with someone with good hair, "I don't want to brush pasitas" or "Mira ese pelo malo" really gets engrained in your brain and sometimes it's difficult to change the way you think. It's not impossible.
All those years, I straightened my hair once or twice a week, and noticed that it was thin and fragile after 3 or 4 days, but I didn't care, I wanted to look pretty — the kinda pretty that society and family taught me. After 5-6 Keratin treatments and a failed high-lights, dye job, this photo of Zendaya inspired me.
what inspired me about this hairstyle?
We both have a similar hair color
I feel identified with her mixed background
She seems like a spontaneous person, as I am
There is frizz in her hair
Loved the bangs
My hair is not super voluminous, so this seemed as an attainable look for me
So even though you never know what celebrities go through to achieve a look — hair extensions, wigs, super expensive products, a whole team of experts, and tons of money, I didn't care and went for it! I wasn't aiming to look exactly like her, it was literally just inspiration. I think you should still be yourself while trying a new hairstyle. Your hair won't give you personality, you have that already. Your hair might just give you the confidence to embrace what you already believe in and what you stand for. Your hair won't make you an advocate for anything, but you might feel more secure about standing up for yourself. At the same time never let a bad hair day dictate your day, or mood; ypu are much more than that!
And of course, it is my version of Zendaya's hair 😂. Mine is blonder, not very defined or curly at the moment, but that's how you start your journey. When they say "transition" it is not a joke.
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5 things that will make a difference when transitioning
Don't Use sulfates. Sulfates deteriorate your hair and strip your hair from the sebum and moisture your curly hair mane needs. And, yes, "too clean hair" is a thing. My favorite cleanser for my 3A/3B curls is this Low-Poo from Devacurl. I started with the Low-Poo instead of the No-Poo because I was kind of afraid that my hair will look dirty, and not clean, but Low-Poo has never disappointed me. My hair looks clean, and i get compliments about the shine and definition all the time.
Don't use silicones, at least for the first year while transitioning. I call these the "Silly-cones". Most silicones cause build up and clog your hair strands and scalp. Anything that ends in “cone,” “conol,” “col,” or “xane,” is part of this group, and should be avoided at all costs to start your healthy hair journey. For more info about these bad boys read this concise, but useful article. I don't actually use a regular conditioner, I go for the deep conditioners, every single time, because I think my hair needs some extra love! Holy Grail Alert!!!!! My absolute favorite is this aromatic Matcha tea/Almond oil deep conditioner. This is life, guys! I would eat this if I could. SMELLS SO GOOD!!!!! I don't ever feel like my hair is dry anymore. Also another option to this could be this Pineapple and ginger Intensive mask . You can find this one at Whole Foods.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS and ALWAYS put product in your hair when it is soaking wet. Why is this? This way you can distribute it better, and make sure your entire hair is covered with it. Also, your hair wont change shape after it is dry, you can only control it while it's wet. Still not convinced? Do a test yourself. For volume, don't forget this foam. I especially see a difference when I use it as a refresher for 2nd, and 3rd day. My hair gets so big, I can't stop looking at it in the mirror! And before that a leave-in is always welcome! The best leave-in I've ever used is from Curls, and it is amazing! From the smell, to how moisturized your hair feels, the shine, and how long the effects last in your hair, I rate this the #1 out there. The price is incredible, and you can find it in at CVS or Target, although at this website you can find it cheaper, and even more if you use their promo codes. Get free shipping over $50 and 10% off your purchase with this code SHOP10
Don't use a regular towel to dry your hair. I still use a 100% cotton t-shirt, but some people swear by the microfiber towels. I still need to try that out, but my t-shirt is working well so far! A regular towel will make your hair frizzy, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that, right? Sooooo, take that 2005 Field Trip t-shirt and make it uselful!
Don't touch your hair while wet. i SAID NO touching. It's difficult, I know! We get too excited about seeing the results of our hair after it's dry, but this journey will definitely make you a patient person (finally!) If you touch it you will cause more (guess what?) frizz, and again, who wants that?
“Curly Hair Transition: Time when your hair is going through a very awkward moment; not totally straight or curly. This is also called second puberty for curly hair LOL”
before
after